Not applicable
Not applicable
(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for handling a golf ball and tee, and, more particularly, to such apparatus which can be used by a person who remains in a standing position to insert a golf ball tee into the ground, with a ball thereon, ready for a shot.
(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98
Apparatus for handling a golf ball and tee is known, being disclosed in numerous U.S. patents, including the following, which were found on a pre-examination search:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,227, Petersen, Dec. 21, 1999
U.S. Pat. No. 5,672,121, Miller, Sep. 30, 1997
U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,646, Fiocca et al., Sep. 23, 1997
U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,213, Pimentel, Aug. 8, 1995
U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,178, Geishert, Jul. 19, 1994
U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,598, Miller, Apr. 27, 1993
U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,646, Tobias, Nov. 13, 1990
U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,661, Attig, May 20, 1986
U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,369, Phelps, Jul. 2, 1985
U.S. Pat. No. 2,609,198, Armstrong, Sep. 2, 1952
All of the foregoing patents relate to apparatus for handling a golf ball and tee, and, specifically, to such apparatus which can be used by a person who remains standing to position a golf ball tee in the ground, with a ball thereon, ready for a shot. None of the patents, however, suggests such apparatus where a ball is gripped between a resilient toroidal ring and a tee which is received in a slot in a first end of an arm which is pivoted at a second end, and can be urged manually into a rotational position where the first end of the arm urges the tee against the ball and the ball into contact with the toroidal ring, and is resiliently urged toward a second rotational position where the distance between the first end of the arm and the toroidal ring is sufficiently great that the ball and the tee are not engaged between the ring and the arm.
Apparatus which is not disclosed for use to position a golf ball tee in the ground, with a ball thereon, but where an object is gripped between a support and the first end of an arm which is pivoted at a second end, and can be urged manually into a rotational position where the first end of the arm urges an object to be supported against the object and into contact with the support, and is resiliently urged toward a second rotational position where the distance between the support and the first end of the arm is sufficiently great that the object is not engaged between the support and the arm is disclosed in Design Pat. No. 386,053, Gavin Hugh James, Nov. 11, 1997, and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,104, Lin, Mar. 9, 1993.
The instant invention is apparatus for handling a golf ball and tee which can be used by a person who remains standing to position a golf ball tee in the ground, with a ball thereon, ready for a shot. In the apparatus, a ball is gripped between a resilient toroidal ring and a tee which is received in a slot in a first end of an arm which is pivoted at a second end, and can be urged manually into a rotational position where the first end of the arm urges the tee against the ball and the ball into contact with the toroidal ring, and is resiliently urged toward a second rotational position where the distance between the first end of the arm and the toroidal ring is sufficiently great that the ball and the tee are not engaged between the ring and the arm.